New airport in Sichuan completes test flight

CHENGDU - A new airport in Ganzi Tibetan autonomous prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan province completed its first test flight of passenger planes with the safe landing of an Airbus A319 aircraft Thursday morning.

The Gesar Airport, slated to officially open in September, will be the third plateau airport in the prefecture, according to the local government.

A comprehensive review of the operating facilities, including the runaway, navigation system, signals and communication as well as operating procedures and standards have also been conducted given its high altitude and complex meteorological conditions.

Two air routes connecting the airport with Chongqing and Chengdu in southwestern China are expected to be launched this year, which is predicted to slash the travel time by at least eight hours compared with road trips.

Construction of the airport, at an elevation of 4,068 meters, began in June 2017.